Hello one and all!

So! Here I am, in my beautiful new flat, typing on my new lap-top computer, checking the time in my new cell-phone, and praying to the powers of "Digital Chance" that my internet connection will function, so that I can send this.

So... my new address and info is:

Matthew Sly
Bruch str. 4
32756 Detmold
Germany (Or whichever way you call this country in your local tung. They are all so different; Deutschland, Saksamaa, Germanski, Alamagne, etc.)
"Home" phone number: +49 (0) 5231   366-259
Mobile Phone number +49 (0) 176   24.10.96.97

Now then... (0) is only used when you don't have the country code (that's the 49 for Germany.)
So, from north America, it's something like 1-1-0- (I'm not sure about that part,) 49-5231-and so on.

The next complicated thing about it, is the "Home."

It's a feature called "Home zone." Basically, if I'm within one km or so of my home adress, I get all the calls (and make all calls,) as if I were using a regular Land Line telephone. (Basically, it's much cheaper.)

And Detmold is such a little city, that basically everywhere I go, it's the same as having my home telephone.

The Only time I couldn't be reached at that number, is when I'm on tour with the company.

That actually happens with some relative frequency: I'm out and about western Germany about every second week. Mostly to little, out of the way theaters though, so I can't say I've seen many big cultural meccas of Europe.

Now, on to the things in my life which are not New, (Rely, the beginning of this e-mail is totally misleading; Yes, all those things are new... but they are the only new things for a long time past, and likely a long time to come.)

The biggest "Same" to tell of, is that next Season, (Year, September through June period, whatever to call it,) I will be staying in Detmold, at the Landestheater.   If I was going to leave, I had to have done it by the 10th of January... and that date came and went, with me being generally unsure... so now I Am sure; I'll be Here for another year and a half.

That means, that (in theory,) I know the exact dates that I'll be free in the summer, and I can have a fair idea of my budget for the next year and a half... and I have one important plan at the moment:

"I've GOT to visit my home."

I haven't been on Vancouver island since... the end of June, 2000. In the past 4 years, I've seen my Mom once, and my Granny, and 2 sets of {Uncle + Aunt + Cousins} (and is there a single word for such a family group?)

So... as long as my internet connection hold up (cross your wires, and knock on cables,) I can start looking at plane fares as soon as I finish sending this.

-Oh, but it's been a struggle to get "connected." First, there's the fact that I got this computer Here, so all the software is in German. (It's difficult setting your "Eigenschaften" when you haven't a clue what it is!) Then... I had the wrong cable to plug into the wall... then... there's an inexplicable little thing, that makes the connection only work one time out of 25... so far as I've tried.   (I've only managed to get any signal 3 times, and I have no idea what I did differently those time... or why it would simply Stop working after 5 or 10 minutes... sigh.)

I'm just hoping I can send this today, without further setbacks.

What else shall I tell of?   How about some details of this new flat I'm in?

I quite like it. It is most likely one of the "nicest" places I've lived in... from the architectural point of view.   It's an old building, of 4 or 5 stories, right in the center of town. Don't think like the center 50 blocks of Toronto... this is a little town! I'm talking about looking out my window at town hall, and the church beside it, and having the marketplace just outside my frontdoor 3 times a week.   This is Marketsquare Centrality.   Then... It's just a very nice building; fairly old, but well renovated.   3 and a half meter high ceilings, all wood floors, big, tall windows out onto the marketsquare, but good, double panes things, that keep it quiet, for those Saturday mornings I get to sleep in. The only problem I find with my room, is that I have so little furniture to put in it, I have great, huge "unused" floor space.   At least I have a couch, table and 3 mini trees to fill things out a bit, left by the old tenant.

Now, I must talk of the Kitchen. It's not as big as my room, but it's a wonderfully grand size. And I'm living with 4 other people. Jeronimo, one of the other Dancers in the Theater, he comes from Mexico, but doesn't eat spicy food. (Ii only say that, because it's the only complaint I have about him. :-)

There's Fossi (Fozy? Fossy? I've never seen his name written down.) He works at ... something.   At night.   I guess I don't really know much about him, but he's friendly, and tried, (with limited success,) to help me get this accursed computer online and working. There's also a sound-engineering student... who I know very very little about, because in the past 2 weeks I've been living here, I've seen him for perhaps 12 minutes. He's busy, I'm busy, and we just never see each other.

The last person is Rachel. (No idea how she spells her name either.)   She's a violinist, getting her diploma at the Music University this year.   -The reason I'm here, in this flat, goes like this:

Lars, German by birth, but raised largely in Toronto (or something to that effect,) Met Rachel, (Newzealand Violinist,) here in Detmold.   They're engaged, and were living together in two of the rooms here.   Now, Lars, (A doctor,) got a job in the north of Norway ("Oh My!" I thought! Those dark winters, and summers with dawn at 1:30 am.).   So, He's moved up there now, and Rachel will be following once she's graduated in the summer.

And that's probably WAY more than any of you were really interested in. Oh well.

But... I just have to add, that Rachel cooks spicy foods, and has a perfectly Lovely collection of sauces, and chilies, and so on. (And some good recipe books.)   Also, I've gone to a few of the concerts of the Music School Orchestra, and had a good time mingling with that crowd.

OK, onto another subject: Life in the Theater.
I'm happy there.   Not ecstatic, but with few complaints. I suppose no one's really heard about me, and what I'm dancing. so...

It's a little company, with only 8 dancers.   In the repertoire now the dancers work in 6 productions; there's Operettas, "Das Land Des Lachens" and "Der Graf von Luxemburg", and Musicals, "Les Miserables" and "Victor / Victoria", and two Dance pieces... I'll go into greater detail of...

"Bus Station" is in little cellar, (think of a 400 year old stone Merchant's building, and you see that "cellar" is not such a bad thing,) -converted into a small theater.   It's very close, and intimate with the audience.   It's set as a... Bus stop, (of course,) and it's just a collection of short pieces, to (somewhat) popular music, showing various characters, emotions, and situations of life.   (Anyone from Victoria who remembers "Dirty Laundry" knows what I mean.)

"Let Me Live!" Is aimed at older school-kids.   It has to do with problems of school, and the transitionary teenager-hood. I was cast in the roll of the Bully, which I found a little challenging, as I wasn't in school, and haven't experienced bullying at all.

I think I did a good job of it though, and was complimented, (and mortified,( by a friend telling me that they just Hated me, when I was pushing my colleague around on stage, and taking his.... self respect, money, telephone, game-boy, cigarettes, lunch, homework, etc.

So... I was convincing.   Good. (I guess. :-)

It's a powerful piece, and in the end, deals with violence in schools, with him taking a gun in, and ... Not killing anyone.

And then he walks off the stage.

Like I just said, it's powerful.

The next production, will be Cinderella, by Prokofiev... (Probably: it was only decided today.) A week ago, we were planning on doing "Le Petit Prince," but there turned out to be numerous troubles getting the rights to do that, so we had to find something else... Fast.   (There was the first rehearsal today, and the premiere is scheduled for March 10.)

After that... I think we might be in "The merry wives of Windsor," dancing a waltz or something, but I'm not sure.

So... do you think I should Finish this overly long e-mail now? You must understand,   that I'm sort of trying to work off my guilt of not having really been in contact for... months, and months... and a bloody long time, generally.

SO!
For my Christmas Holidays...

I didn't have a CLUE what to do with myself.   I only had 4 or 5 days free for Christmas, so I stayed at home, and then went for Christmas ever with a neighbor to her family's place.   I opened my gifts, lovingly sent from my family, and also a nice kitchen toy from my Ballet Director.

It was only for our Break, for the first 10 days of January, that I actually did anything:

At the last possible moment, (or so,) I found a really cheap flight to Estonia, which is something I'd been thinking about.   So, I went back and visited old friends and colleagues for a week.   It was great fun. And though there were a few people I hoped to meet, but didn't get to see, there were also a few I didn't expect to see, but got to have nice long chats with.   I also got to see what my old theater is doing now... and generally have a good time visiting. (And reclaiming some of my books I never thought I was going to see again. The ones I'd left there, because I was only allowed certain amounts of luggage, flying to Germany back in August.)

And now... I'm back at work, but in my new place...

And it's second of February.   And I didn't notice yesterday, but this morning, in my 5 minute walk to the theater, I saw 10 flowers, snow-drops, smugly stating that it's Spring beginning now, while other parts of the world are frozen and snowbound.   It made me feel right at home, as if I was back in Victoria, with the early flowers... and pouring rain. (This is one of the "Best"... places in Germany for rain. :-)

So... I'm terribly sorry for all my dear Canadians, who are having a hard, freezing winter. (But in the typically West-coast way of feeling sorry, but also proud, or clever, for not being in it myself.)

And I think. I just THINK, that perhaps it's time to end this excessive ramble.

If my internet connection becomes at all reliable, then I will follow this up, and reply to any replies you might make... with alacrity, (If I remember what that word means,) and promptness, (Just in case I Don't remember.)

So... let me see if I can spell-check his in English, instead of German,

And then wish you all health, happiness, and wholesome ... wholesome... food. (Nice spicy curries for preference, or some great filling pasta dish, :-) -It's about time for My dinner.

Pax,
Matthew